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AP:Associated Press

The white rhinos are being wiped out by poachers for their horns

The Ezemvelo field rangers then hours after the arrests ambushed five more poachers in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game park at 3.30am while patrolling the Nqolothi section when they heard voices.

The turned on their flashlights and ordered the poachers to lay down their weapons.

But when the gang aimed their weapons at them, the rangers opened fire at close range killing two instantly.

Three poachers are currently being hunted in the dense bush with tracker dogs and a helicopter.

Ezemvelo spokesman Musa Mntambo told News 24: "Our rangers observed a group of five poachers and turned on their flashlights simultaneously ordering the poachers to lay down their weapons.

“One poacher pointed a gun towards the field rangers but he was outgunned. The rangers fired first and two poachers were fatally wounded and a rifle was recovered. Three managed to escape in the shootout".

It is understood the dead suspects were from the Melmoth area of KZN and investigators are linking them to the evidence from last Sunday’s massacre of six rhinos at the same nature reserve.

Mntambo said: "This syndicate is known to the police and Ezemvelo authorities."

Why are South Africa’s rhinos being hunted?

There are only 20,000 white rhino left in South Africa with 1,000 slaughtered every year.